Utz Roedig

Wireless sensor networks are currently the subject of intense research and many prototype installations are currently investigated. These existing sensor network installations have in common that they are not considered time critical. No immediate action has to be undertaken as a response to the received data. However, many future application areas of wireless sensor networks such as plant automation and control, traffic management or medical applications require this feature. In such environments, data has to be transported reliable and in time through the sensor network. In other words, performance guarantees regarding a variety of network parameters are required. Due to the lack of appropriate models, components and protocols it is currently very difficult to construct and operate a wireless sensor network with a controlled performance. The goal of this project is to devise such models, components and protocols that allow us to operate a performance controlled sensor network.

The project investigates Wireless Sensor Networks applied to sensors for physical intruder detection within high security environments. Currently available wireless sensor networks lack the required security features. The project goal is to develop methods necessary to use wireless sensor networks in areas which require secure and predictable communication.

Communication in wireless sensor networks is mainly defined by the medium access control protocol that organises the access of multiple nodes to the shared medium; in such networks, the MAC protocol must be carefully designed to appropriately balance conflicting goals such as high throughput and low energy consumption. The design space for MAC protocols in wireless sensor networks is determined to a large extent by the capabilities of the communication transceivers used by the sensor nodes. However, current MAC protocols are not well matched to the capabilities of modern low-power transceivers. The aim of this project is therefore to investigate how the interaction between MAC protocols and low power transceivers can be improved to optimise communications in wireless sensor networks.